Beautiful Tragedy
by Zzsoccer334
Summary: AU.Sesshoumaru is a cursed vampire with a bleak outlook on his immortal life. Romance and Tragedy don't go hand in hand, but there are always exceptions. SessKik R
1. Prologue

**Beautiful Tragedy**

**Chapter I: Prologue**

**A/N: **Yo, yo, yo! Okay... well, uuh. This is an attempt at another good story. Well, I've been watching many romance movies lately... (blame my mother) and read a bundle of great books. I've also received quite a few reviews for my story '_Another Word for Desperate'_ which, unfortunately, I do not think I will be continuing. The only reason is because I have completely forgotten any possible inspiration I had for that story. So, for my fans... (if any) here is an exchange. New story for old one. I hope this turns out well. :

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha...

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Heavy rain pattered mutedly against glass so grimy it could have been perceived as oppressing. Shaded amber orbs scanned the expanse of the retrograding chamber with dull weariness as the owner sighed solemnly. He sat unmoving on a large, sophisticated chair and listened to the steady rhythmn of the cleansing rain. He hadn't felt the rain on his flesh in decades... 

Silently, his brilliantly colored eyes continued to pass over the decrepit area he was situated in, taking in the minor details that had already been boldly imprinted in the depths of his immortal memory. Mahogany furniture adorned with sweeping, elegant furnishings. Drapings spun of the finest velvet and smoothest silk. He gazed soundlessly at the once resplendent glasses and trinkets, now chipped and untouched. The canvases and portraits hung around the room could no longer mirror the glamour that they used to possess. Now most of them were either faced against the walls or covered by sheets of once white cloths.Splendor had transformed into sadness in the magnificent home.

A half stifled yawn escaped the solitary recipient's lips as he observed with mild interest as a large, obsidian spider made its way daintily down a shimmering silk strand of web. He traced the path of that spider as it advanced onto a breathtaking antique bedspread. The sight of the homely arachnid on the crushed velvet was one that he had grown callused to. The beauty of antiquety and history no longer intrigued him. No, he had lost all interest in such petty things as grace and perfection long ago.

'_How much longer must I remain in this forsaken place...'_

Impassively, he combed his long, slender fingers through the lenght of his silvery hair. A few of the loose strands caught the thin trickle of light that danced trough the grime-streaked windows, and reflected a fleeting glimmer onto a venerable wall. The makeshift pulchritude seemed foreign in the dark, dusty room. It was a relief from the monochromatic death that plagued the chamber.

However, the alleviation of the delicate mirage ended abruptly as the limber male leaped backwards impulsively. A nearly inaudible growl escaped his pale throat and his long eyes narrowed in rememberance of a deceptive past.

'_Damn that detestable wench...'_

After a brief hesitation, the mysterious male composed himself and sat down again, though this time, on a different chair. He was now seated in the darkest corner of the neglected chamber. His golden oculars watched the softly streaming light warily. The peaceful sound of the desolate rain never ceased, and all about him, the atmosphere spoke of tranquility and secretive silence.

On the outside, he allowed his body to relax minutely, but within his intricate mind, memories twirled and teased him. Wisps of dreams, dissipated in a vague reality. A memoir of the loveliest creature he had ever been blessed to encounter... and the nightmare of her betrayal.

Amber eyes trailed down thoughtfully at the pallid contour of his slim wrist. Nostalgia swept through his system as they settled on the violet markings that were printed eternally onto his flesh. A reminder of his lost humanity. No longer could he laugh freely, love ardently, or live fully... he was cursed. Cursed in every sense of the word.

The stripes were not the only insignia of his dissolution. In addition, each of his fingers were topped by a formidable claw, capable of bringing any creature to its knees with a single swipe. His strenght had intensified ten-fold, and his eyesight was incredibly keen. But his most malignant weapons by far were his elongated canines. Any creature that was unfortunate to meet that end would be one to be pitied indeed.

But the unequivocal emblem of his conversion was the deep navy mark on his forehead. Stark in contrast to his irridescent skin, the azure crescent moon was situated perfectly beneath his breezy bangs, so that the world could see its sinister warning. He was a creature of the night... a child of the moon.

The bitter memories threatened to consume the young male. Fluidly, he rose from the corner in which he had settled and strode to a nearby table with engraved designs bordering the dull wood. Hesitantly, he pulled a delicate object from underneath a worn cloth. The tarnished silver handle and frame were admirable, and any goldsmith would be envious of the craftsmanship. But the furtive male was not interested in the skillful framing of the object, but rather the center.

The center of the aforementioned object was cracked into several large shards of glass upon which an ethereal visage stared forlornly back at him. The man stared at his own image, at the angular, but insubstantial contours. Every aspect of the inhuman face was entrancing and beautiful. Still, he had lost all interest in such petty things as grace and perfection long ago... only because he _was_ grace and perfection. And yet... the most alluring feature was the complexity swirling in the depths of his eyes. A beautiful tragedy...

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**A/N:** Okay guys. Well.. it's not much. But hopefully you enjoyed it. I know I had fun writing it.Oh yeah, and some things might not really make sensenow.. .but they will in good time.haha. Well, if you wish me to continue with this, please, please, PLEASE: reviews, criticism, suggestions. Anything. Leave a review! 


	2. Love is a Battlefield

**Beautiful Tragedy**

**Chapter I: Love is a Battlefield**

**A/N:** Ok. This is the real Chapter one. Last one was a Prologue. hehe. Sorry that most of it didn't make sense. It was supposed to be cryptic and hint-y and junk... but i guess I did a bang up job expressing the crypticness of it. (frown, tear) Well, now its starting out with Kikyou and maybe you guys will like this chapter better. Oh, And THANKS so much to the seven lovelies who left a review last chapter. I loveth you guys!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha

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"Inuyasha!" 

Kikyou once again found herself locked out of her own apartment, a blunder that she had made a faithful habit of in the past weeks. Was it truly possible for any semi-intellectual person to repeatedly lock themselves out of their own home, and still continue to forget their key on the kitchen counter every morning? Kikyou sighed in irritated frustration. What the hell was Inuyasha waiting for anyway? She had been pounding fervently on the door for ten minutes now.

"Inuyasha! Open the door!" That oblivious brute was probably playing video games again... or blasting the stereo at top volume. He was so irresponsible. Ever since Kikyou and Inuyasha had moved in together, he had grown progressively intolerable. At first he was just as involved in their relationship as Kikyou was, just as deeply enamoured. But lately, he seemed to find a way to always be occupied.That or he would simply be completely disinterested in what she had to say. Kikyou had always imagined that two people living in the same apartment, completely unaware of the other,would be virtually impossible, but Inuyasha had certainly disproved that theory. Often times, it nearly broke her heart, knowing that he did not care for her as he used to.

She longed wistfully for the past, in which she and Inuyasha were carefree, jovial, and madly in love. She would close her eyes and conjure up memoirs of their love... a soft pink spring rose, blooming as beautifully as the delicate blush that swept her face when Inuyasha kissed her... A love that would never fade... should never fade... but somehow, it did. Inuyasha no longer caressed her cheeks with tender adoration. Kikyou was practically a stranger to him. The love they had shared was wilting as slowly and agonizingly as the beautiful springtime rose had. It was now becoming dry and barren... and so very desolate.

Kikyou shook her depressing thoughts away. Currrently it was obvious that Inuyasha would not be the one to grant her entrance into their small home. Perhaps he wasn't even in there. After all, she had decided to come home early today. It was supposed to be the perfect start to a long, relaxing, three-day weekend. Monday was Memorial Day, so she didn't need to be at work. No need to stress over her imperious boss or her obnoxious gossiping co-workers... the perfect weekend... the perfect escape. Apparently, her perfect escape was beginning to give her a tedious headache.

With a final defeated whimper and a half hearted blow to the door, Kikyou laid her pale forehead against the bleached wood. Was one peaceful weekend too much to ask for? Just one weekend where she could simply lay at home eating ice cream and renting old romance movies to watch with her boyfriend? Not even; Inuyasha would fall asleep five minutes into the movie and probably end up dropping his beer on the carpet... then Kikyou would end up cleaning the mess and... Gah! Even in the privacy of her own mind, she couldn't relax!

Angrily, she picked up her heavy black handbag and stormed down the flight of stairs that led to the front of the building. She paused momentarily to allow a newly married couple that was struggling to carry their groceries up the stairs to pass. Kikyou watched with a tinge of jealousy as the young woman stumbled, only to be caught by her concerned husband. Kikyou smiled politely and turned away as the female smiled sheepishly and the young husband captured her lips in a kiss. That couple always made it seem so easy. As if they could and would not ever argue amongst themselves.Inuyasha had ceased to be as romantic or thoughtful as the young man.

With another touch of nostalgia, Kikyou turned to the sight of the young female blushing heavilyas she was gently kissed by her violet eyed beau. Kikyou's heart seemed to split in two directions at once. She felt light headed as she emphathized with the girl, but she also felt the other half of her heart burning with desire and loss. It wasn't fair to compare the beautiful love that the newlyweds communicated with her own failing romance. She decided to not wait until the amorous couple made it safely past her and quickly continued on her way. Once outside, she paused to regain her breath while glancing warily around.

It was no use wasting more time wishing for love, rathershe should be focused on getting inside her apartment. With little delay, she half ran to the side of the building, where she proceeded to walk down the dirty alleyway, ignoring the young bronze haired boy spraying brightly colored graffiti onto the walls of the structure.The boy laughed as she stopped apruptly at the end of the alleyway. Directly in front of her stretched a ten foot brick wall, solid and rough. Sighing, Kikyou turned her head to regard her true objective means of getting home: a large, metal fire escape that ran all the way up the building, making its final stop at her apartment window.

And to think, if it wasn't for Inuyasha's carelessness, she would have been deprived of the joyous experience of climbing that staircase. Oh well, no use turning back now. Besides, it wasn't as if Inuyasha would have opened the door now. He was probably sleeping. Inuyasha wasn't exactly the lightest sleeper in the world. It was no wonder that he didn't open the door. He was far too busy dozing off, leaving Kikyou to bring in all the income and giving her nothing in return. What an inconsiderate, hurtful man...

Kikyou decided to cease her contemplations. They were simply agitating her further.What a horrendous weekend this was going to be. Surely it couldn't get any worse. Sighing softly, she pressed a hand onto the endless fire exit. Almost instantly, she felt it tremble under her touch.

The ladder was, sadly, very unshapely. The red paint was hardly etched onto the surface and rust stains were clearly visible throughout the entirety of the structure. Kikyou began to wonder how the landlord could possibly hope that any tennants would survive in the unfortunate case of a real fire. If they weren't already roasted alive, she was sure that they would meet their demise when they reached the fragile escape route.

She groaned quietly as she pressed her other hand to the ladder, once again feeling its weak stability. A slight tinge of fear overcame her as she finally gathered enough willpower to simply mount the unstable ladder. She waited nervously until the dangerous structure stopped wobbling before opening her mahogany eyes and delicately taking her next few steps. She immediately felt immensely grateful for her thin frame and small weight. Inuyasha had always complained about her fragile physique. He, along with most of society, considered her type of body beautiful, but unhealthy or unnatural. Many accused her of being too thin, thought she was certain that she never faltered from her usual diet. Kikyou merely shrugged the comments off. Most of the women her age were the real unnatural ones. They were far too immersed in beauty. Many of her co-workers had already been subject to breast augmentations and all of them wore masks of foundation and blush and all of the other unnecessary makeup products imaginable.At least now Kikyou could name one benefit of her body type. She couldn't be weighted down by fake boobs, hairspray, and blobs of makeup.

Kikyou shook her thoughts off and focused on the challenge before her once more. She took a few more careful steps and decided to risk looking down. Directly below her, the young copper colored boy watched her admiringly. At first Kikyou thought perhaps he was just impressed at her lack of abhorrecence and her courageous feat. However, she soon realized the boy wasn't even looking directly at her. She warily followed the direction in which his large green eyes were fixated, and found to her disdain, that he was merely appreciating her well rounded backside.

Angrily, and with a new wave of determination, Kikyou climbed farther upwards with as much dignity as she could muster. She couldn't help but feel relieved that she had been wearing pants that day... Damn that kid and his perverted sense of humor. And at her expense! Oh, Inuyasha would definitely hear of this irksome tribulation. Still, despite her silent anger being directed at her boyfriend, Kikyou was constantly reminded of her perilous predicament by the occasional quiver resonating all around her.

Presently, after various near death experiences, Kikyou managed to shakily pull herself inside her own apartment. Thank heavens Inuyasha always left the windows unlocked. She gave no thought to the fact that that habit was one of the main attractions of their frequent explosive arguments. That certain truth was beside the point anyway... Kikyou smiled in relief as she silently straightened out her blouse. She then proceeded to examine her surroundings. Everything seemed to be in place, but one thing. Inuyasha wasn't at his usual spot on the couch. Kikyou considered her odd observation. Perhaps Inuyasha wasn't as lazy as she had imagined. Maybe he didn't always lay sluggishly plastered to the old sofa.

Kikyou almost laughed at the thought. He had to be plastered to the bed instead!

She shook her head softly, and dropped her bag onto a worn sofa cushion. She then continued on to the kitchen, where she gracefully pulled out a crystalline glass from a high placed cupboard. She sighed in weary relaxation. Now that she was safely situated in her home, Kikyou felt a dim flicker of renewed hope for her long weekend. A small jumpstart wouldn't hurt anybody.

Without delay, the young female sauntered over to the large refridgerator in the middle of the room and leisurely pulled out a tall bottle of deep crimson wine. Surely Inuyasha could comply to one fight-free weekend. As she poured herself a considerable amount, Kikyou grinned minutely. This weekend certainly had potential.

With a renewed vigor, Kikyou quickly made her way to the bedroom that she and Inuyasha shared on occasion. As she approached, she heard a muffled, but definitely loud music emanating from the chamber. So, that was the reason for Inuyasha's inability to hear her furious pounding at the door. She laughed silently as she closed the small gap to the bedroom door. Gingerly, she turned the silver knob and pushed lightly on the wooden door.

What she saw immediately made her freeze on the spot. Kikyou's smile was instantly wiped off her face, and shock stabbed at her numb mind. Her brain stubbornly refused to register the scene played out like a cruel twist of irony before her. Time seemed to slow down unbearably as she attempted to understand what she was seeing. The concept appeared to be incomprehensible for the few stretched seconds in which she stood there in disbelief and confusion.

Suddenly, in a rush of color, sound, and movement, the world seemed to regain speed at a rate so immense it almostgave her a headache. As her mind's gears began to turn again, and her eyes widened and began to spill untainted tears, Kikyou understood what she was looking at. The pale, fragile hand that had previously been holding the glass of wine flew up to her mouth in horror and the wine spilled like blood onto the white carpet.

Before her, her beloved Inuyasha, the one whom she imagined spending her life with, lay stark naked on the bed, his dark hair messy and spread about the sheets and pillows, and directly on top of him was her own sister. Both of them stared at her with complete shock, which quickly turned to shame as Kagome scrambled to cover her exposed breasts.

"Kikyou--" Inuyasha started to explain as he too, covered his body with the white sheets. Kagome began to shed large, salty tears upon seeing the depth of the unfixable damage and unimaginable pain in her sister's eyes. She too tried to explain herself.

"Kikyou, I... We... I'm so sorry, Kikyou!" the young, petite girl stuttered as she looked upon her sister's continuous stream of tears. Kikyou hardly heard her. Her heart was thumping too painfully in her chest, and deep within her, she felt that if it burst out from her rib cage, she would not care, for it would be ten thousand times more bearable than the abysmal betrayal she was feeling now. It was no wonder that Inuyasha had grown so disinterested in her. Kagome was just the type of woman he had always wanted. She was beautiful, just as her sister was, but she was much more ample and voluptious than Kikyou. She was young, and energetic, and had a fiery personality, than none could refuse to love. She was so perfect for Inuyasha. He was so perfect for her. The thought made Kikyou suddenly sick.

How could she have been so blind? She lamented regularly of her lost love, yet she never took the time to understand why it had been lost. Kikyou could never compare to the happiness Kagome could bring Inuyasha.The relentless thought and Inuyasha and Kagome's mixed apologies made Kikyou feel like she was far too small and naive for the world. She felt like a child being taught a cruel lesson of the world. And still Kagome cried, and still Inuyasha begged for forgiveness. All the while that her heart was breaking, the loud music continued to play vociferously. Its upbeat tempo and melodic lyrics seemed to taunt her with each note:

_...And suddenly I become a part of your past_

_...I'm becoming the part that don't last_

_...I'm losing you and its **effortless**_

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**A/N-** Well... Now that I read it... it seems super crappy. Grrr. Whatever. It shall do. I'm such a bad author. Well, let's see if you guys can guess who the random people mentioned in the story were. hehe. 

Questions, comments, criticism... whatever works for you guys, just REVIEW. If I get a considerable amount of reviews, I'll update the next chapter sooner.


	3. Crashing Down

**Beautiful Tragedy**

**Chapter II: Crashing Down**

**A/N: **Wooow. Ok. This took forever to complete. Eek! I'm such a procrastinator! But in my defense: it _was_ the end of the school year, and I had to go through hell just to keep my grades at a reasonable status before entering the horrific boredom of the 3 month long summer break. Ahh! Well, expect a few updates kidds. So anyway. Here's chapter 2. Bleh. Hope you like it!

**Disclaimer:** I definitely do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters in the show. :

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Kikyou had wept. She had wept for hours beneath the cold, stinging rain. She kept berating herself for being so blind... so naive. She should have seen that he wanted to be with her. It was so obvious. Deep down, Kikyou knew that she had seen it. It was clear as water and painful as a slap in the face. But it was clear nonetheless in the way he had looked at her with eyes Kikyou had dreamed of seeing again. Eyes that had already started to regard Kikyou as if they couldn't quite remember her. As if they had lost purpose in their adoration.

What went wrong? What had she done to displease him? She had tried so hard. She wanted so badly to love and be loved in return. But the results of her toils were destined to shatter like glass. And so Kikyou wept under the relentless rain. The steady downpour didn't soothe her troubled spirit, as it normally would have, but rather seemed to echo her tears. The sky was crying with her. There came a time when Kikyou could not identify her own tears from the celestial ones, and they appeared to be one unified flow. Then Kikyou stopped crying altogether. She sat motionless on the park bench and stared dully out onto the nearly empty sidewalks before her.

To a passerby, Kikyou seemed to be a fragile angelic statue. So easily broken, even with the slightest touch. Her white dress clung to her skin and seemed to fuse with her flesh, which was just as radiant and pale as the dress itself. Her long pitch black hair curled around her heart shaped face and around her chest, contrasting like only a work of art could. A perfect beauty. However, she could alsovery well seem like a flickering ghost, fading silently in the rain. A specter that was barely clutching onto the last remnants of reality... on the verge of dissipation. A perfect tragedy.

Hours passed by, and Kikyou felt ridiculous for still mourning over lost love. Still, she knew that love was extremely difficult to come across nowadays. Love was certainly not like the fairy tales she grew up with. Love wasn't perfect. It took tremendous effort to simply continue it's course. She knew that. She had known that before Inuyasha. She had been rational before, _strong_ before.

Shakily she tried to collect her shattered remains. Betrayal was abstract. She was not one to dote on abstract things. She _was_ strong... or at least that was what the glass doll she pretended to be was. All those around her knew her as Kikyou... the perfect one. A bit too thin perhaps... but beautiful and intellectual nonetheless. Nobody bothered to talk to her too often, for she was not one to converse freely with any random person. Hence, nobody knew her for who she truly was beneath the doll-like perfection.

Only Inuyasha had actually known the sketchy contours of her mind. She had lovingly, hopingly, put her trust in him; in his soft eyes that promised happiness. It was her trust in him that now made it so painful to pick herself back up again. The amorous promise would forever remain unfullfilled. Now the glass doll was shattered into a thousand little jagged pieces, and Kikyou had to recollect them and put them together as best she could. Nobody would be allowed to see the cracks. She would be Perfect Kikyou once more.

And so, with a dull sense of self disgust, Kikyou once more slipped into the doll's shell. No longer allowing herself to feel the heartbreak that was Inuyasha. Numbly, she stood up from her deserted bench and made her way to the only place she could think of. Kagura's home.

..:xxXxx:..

Kagura's house was the exact reflection of Kagura herself, and the farthest thing from the phrase "home sweet home." Just like its owner, the small abode was completely disorganized. The walls were an arrangement of half painted murals and strips of mismatched wallpaper. All about the floor and the shelves were an assortment of unrelated books, magazines, clothes, hats, paintbrushes, anything that Kagura found interesting. There were pink-feathered boas and leather jackets. Tall, shiny, blackboots with several metal straps, glittery thigh-lenght dresses, tattered jeans, japanese kimonos, and even thin, gossamer strap-on fairy wings. There was eyeshadow and lipstick, hairdye, and even some light pink body glitter. Kagura's tastes were boundless, there were no limits to her imagination.

Beside the array of colorful clothes, there were a few small stuffed animals, countless cd's, paintings, sketches, photographs, and on occasion, wads of crumpled money. On a few tables rested empty pizza boxes and beer cans. Then on others, Kikyou could see coffee stains, candy wrappers, a fair amount of paper plates, and what seemed to be the remains of a large chocolate cake. It was a surprise that there weren't any cockroaches scuttling about the messy area. The entirety of the small home was like a glittering cave of wonders. Kikyou could dig around for a while and find the most exotic items she would ever see. Small porcelain ballerinas, antique glass dolls, Australian boomerangs, Chinese calendars and calligraphy as well as a pair of dainty chinese shoes, a long rusty katana, a tiny bronze replica of the Eiffel Tower, and genuinely carved African masks.

And amongst all the various treasures, there was a single daybed littered with newspaper clippings and even more observational sketches, an old leather couch covered by coats, shoes and several take-out boxes, a T.V., and a dirty computer with an ancient modem. Still, the objects of most variety and quantity were the eccentric feathers that served as the decor and the inspiration of Kagura's home. There were all kinds ranging from the oddly colorful to the most monocromatic and from miniscule to oversized. The entire place seemed to be one giant bird nest, and Kagura seemed to be the playful bird hopping about from one area to the next.

Currently however, Kagura was sitting remarkably still, listening curiously as Kikyou recounted her bitter tale of betrayal. Kagura, surprisingly, was one of the very few people that Kikyou felt she could trust enough to allow a peek at her inner self, however brief it may be. She was a unique person, Kagura. She seemed to be utterly distracted most of the time. Talking about the most complex gossip she knew of at almost supersonic speeds, while somehow, calmly depicting a gorgeous sunset on a large canvas. She could seem to completely zone out, staring dreamily at a speck on her wall, while managing to cook a fabulous dinner, without burning down anything in sight. Sometimes Kikyou wondered if Kagura was some sort of super human; oblivious to the laws of the universe.

At that moment, though, Kikyou could not think of Kagura and her remarkable abilities, but rather, of the one thing she was struggling so fiercely to forget. She obviously wasn't doing such a great job. All of the emotions she was trying to ignore consumed her and spilled out of her mouth in short, breathless gasps. The entire time, Kagura simply listened.

"Oh, Kagura... How could I have been so naive to what was happening around me?" Kikyou finally sobbed. Kagura looked on sympathetically. "How could this happen to me?"

Kikyou found herself feeling hollow as Kagura leaned back on the couch and continued to regard her carefully.

"Kayy... Here's what I think," Kagura began after a moment's contemplation. "I think that you don't need that lazy, good-for-nothing, free loader!" Kikyou looked up warily. When dealing with Kagura, One sentence never summed up what she really thought.

"I think you should take a long, hot shower- cuz no offense, but you look like a mess" Kikyou blushed vehemently at her haphazard condition and her still drying clothes. "-and you should come and party with me! You don't need that asshole to have a good time." Kagura finished with a wink, a wily grin playing on her lips.

Kikyou gazed at Kagura thoughtfully. Partying with Kagura was usually a bittersweet experience. It was definitely fun, Kagura was an expert on club hopping and she seemed to be well versed in the art of sweet talking the bartenders into awarding them "on the house" drinks. Still, Kikyou wasn't a stranger to the loneliness that was present whenever she was left on the sidelines as Kagura found a gorgeous guy to dance with her and drool over her feminine curves and sensual dancing. More than one of them often found himself trying to court the dark-eyed beauty by the end of the night. Kikyou usually had to be the designated driver too. It was always a vain attempt trying to keep Kagura sober enough to drive.

Somehow this night Kikyou didn't feel like doing the usual routine, although a good round of numbing spiked drinks would definitely be a relief from the painful emptiness she was now feeling. With a heavy sigh she shook her head, watching as Kagura's sparkling crimson tinted eyes dulled considerably. Kikyou could tell she wanted to argue her decision.

"Oh, well, that's alright," she said instead. "We'll just party hard next time." With that, Kagura stood up quickly and smiled. Kikyou gave a feeble half grin in return. Right now all she wanted to do was sleep. Sleep would surely wash away her sadness like the caress water. She longed for the relaxed feeling that would mean sanctuary from her torrent of emotions. Kagura noticed the glint of weariness in her friend's deep mahogany eyes and almost hugged her. Instead she carefully stroked her tangled hair.

"Come on baby, it'll be alright. Just sleep for now," Kagura whispered softly, as if reading her mind. " If you want, you can take my bed. I'll just sleep on the couch."

Kikyou nodded dully as her fatigue began to sweep over her once again. Thank goodness for friends like Kagura. She always knew when not to overstep her limits. Kikyou thanked Kagura for the colossal favor she was doing her and slowly made her way towards Kagura's small daybed. Without so much as looking at her own reflection in the mirror, Kikyou silently lowered herself onto the only comfort she could imagine. Deep, dreamless sleep. If she were fortunate enough to avoid dreaming, that is.

As she felt her eyes droop, Kikyou spotted a black and white photograph of a large, antique house.The houseappeared to have been abandoned for several years, maybe even decades. Most of the large building seemed untended and looked as if it might crumble at the lightest touch. It was likely thatnot a single soul hadentered through the largeiron gates in an enormous period of time. Perhaps something repelled any outsiders from stepping within the untamed boundaries of the land.

Still, Kikyou couldn't help but think, even through the foggy haze of sleep that threatened to overcome her, that the house was almost enchanted. It had a certain appeal. As if Kikyou could only find the beautiful mansion, then her troubles would seem so miniscule and pitiful compared to the majestic feel of the house that maybe she too could forget them.

Kikyou smiled as she gently fell into the warm embrace of sleep; the surreal house invading the corners of her subconscious.

That night she dreamed of the lovely house and of the comfort it brought her.

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**A/N: **Woo wee! That was a trip. Uh. By the way, the couple from last chapter was indeed Miroku and Sango, and the pervert kid in the alley is Shippou. Thanks to all the lovies that updated and boosted my morale for the completion of this chappie. Hehe. You guys are shweeet! A couple of comments to the following:

DarkPriestessKikyo- Haha. Nope. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru are not gonna be related in this story. Inuyasha isn't cool enough to be a vampire!

MistyBlues- hehehe. Yeah. That would be quite appropriate. It's what I would do. lol. But nay, I believe Kikyou shall abstain from the mad blood sucking frenzies. :

To everyone else, thanks a bundle! REVIEW straight away and eat all your veggies!


	4. Solitary Echo

**A Beautiful Tragedy**

**Chapter III: Solitary Echo**

**A/N:** Hey guys, sorry that this chapter took a while too. The problem was that I had written a different version of this chapter, in Kikyou's POV, but I decided that I had left all of you guys waiting for Sesshoumaru too long. Sooo, I rewrote the entire chapter and decided to incorporate Kikyou's experience later on in the story. Thanks so much to all the cool kids who reviewed. Well, hope you're not disappointed. :

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sesshoumaru, Kikyou, or Kagura. sigh

Dainty limbs twirled and teased. Long glass arms stretched like crystalline wings towards the desolate darkness above. Twirling and dancing, eternally. The darkness was the glass ballerina's only admirer, besides the enigmatic amber suns that watched her movements with wistful dreams. Sesshoumaru could so easily relate to the lovely figurine's entrancing dance. She would forever be on display. Looking beautiful, preserved in a box too small and dull for her magnificence. But what could a small glass ballerina really do? She had no other purpose for her existence.

Apparently neither did he. He too was stuck in a box, pacing eternally. He was a being of transcendence, his mind was sharp as his senses, and he was quite nearly perfection in a bottle. But what good did that do him now? Now that he was more confined than he ever had been as a human man?

With a repressed groan, Sesshoumaru swiftly moved away from the small music box, just as the delicate melody slowed to a sharp silence. Sesshoumaru was so close to complete insanity now. He was so tired of the reverberating silence. He was tired of the death that clung to the very fibers of the house. He was tired of the hollow hunger, of the longing ache, of repulsion, rebellion, remorse. He was tired of breathing, and he was tired of living.

At least, if one could even define his existence as living. It wasn't a life that he had. He did not live.

Now, Sesshoumaru only existed.

He loathed his existence more than anything or anyone. Even his so-called love. The woman he had fallen in "love" with was nothing more than his jailor. She was the reason for his wretched continuance. She was certainly not the girl he had pledged to protect and love, nor the woman he had kissed passionately. She had transformed completely into an entity that was more perplexing to him than anything. She was his suffering.

His curse was her fulfillment. Sesshoumaru had not seen a single human being since the day he cursed her. He hadn't eaten since that day, and she had plagued him with an everlasting thirst, with no repose to sate him. She had let him live, and that was his punishment. The day she cursed him was the day that Hell's torture had enveloped him. And that day had been nearly a century ago.

Sesshoumaru thought complete death would probably have been a welcome variable in his life compared to his current state. Sesshoumaru was one of the "undead". He was by all medical terms dead. He had no pulse, no breath, no heartbeat. He wouldn't be surprised if whatever remained of his blood was dried and crumbling inside his veins. But he was still able to walk, and talk, and think. He could function quite well, in fact extraordinarily well, even if a quarter of his blood was reduced to dust in his body.

Sesshoumaru laughed bitterly as the memory of what happened to the rest of his blood came back to him. The loss of the aforementioned occurred on one of his "bad days" to say the least. Or at least rhetorically speaking. It had probably been a week at most. He had lost all control and completely succumbed to his insanity. Yes, Sesshoumaru very much considered himself insane, at the very least in some form in his subconscious.

With a sense of repetition, Sesshoumaru made his way from the deserted bedroom and into the long, dusty hall. Whatever was left of his integrity willed him to behold his own works of dissolution. Perhaps to prove to himself why he was in such a position, or why he should never be allowed to leave his chains behind. It was to prove to himself what he was capable of doing. And what he would never do again.

His slender hand traced lightly across the sleek, wooden railing that lined the entire hall, looking down at the broken remains of the once resplendent house.

He froze and almost immediately he sensed a difference in the scenery. His dangerous eyes scanned the area below him warily as he strained his remaining senses to a hypersensitive status. He smelled the intrusion before he saw the difference. The smells were familiar, yet alien. There was a mixture of them. Some traces of floral scents lingered slightly in the antique air, as well as fresh air from the world outside.

Said air was certainly baffling. There were traces of so many strange aromas. Some he could recognize, like the flora and fauna, though that scent was surprisingly minimal in the mixture. There was the scent of smoke, and some kind of similar acrid fume. Mostly, though, there was the overwhelming smell of metal. In his human life, he hadn't really come across many metals besides the tools he worked with and the rare gun that someone near him might have owned. But the air he was currently inhaling was teeming with it.

As the smells were being mentally noted, Sesshoumaru's golden oculars landed on an almost camouflaged item in a far corner of the room. He cocked his head slightly to the side as he leaned over the railing to catch a better view of the object, but to no avail, for its color was a semi- reflective slate. Its grayish hue was a perfect match to the monochrome of its surroundings. In fact the entire room could be described as gray.

But the item had an incredibly smooth appearance, it had a circular opening which from his standpoint seemed to be covered by glass. A small window, perhaps? Sesshoumaru wondered with puzzlement what kind of tiny creature could live inside such a small home.

That home was also mounted upon a three legged apparatus. Sesshoumaru could find no reason for anyone to want to elevate their tiny living structure so far from the ground.

With an increasingly curious inclination, Sesshoumaru climbed onto the railing and barely looked down in preparation for his descent. Without a second thought, he leaped effortlessly down towards the hard marble floor, and landed gracefully on his two feet with a nearly muffled thump.

Wordlessly, he erected himself and carefully strode towards the strange object. He curiously examined the small "home" and the three legs that supported it. He noticed there was a small bright red light shining continually on the corner of the device. Upon further inspection, he found there were other small buttons and a small rectangle protruding from one side of the object.

Apparently, the contraption was not a home to any creature, which obviously made sense.

Slowly, Sesshoumaru continued his examination, and found that one side of the protruding rectangle was like a mirror image of the scenery before him.

'_What a strange device…'_ he thought to himself while staring analytically at the matter in question.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru caught the scent of another, far more important oddity in the area. The sight of the strange item had distracted him from an immensely stranger disturbance. He, though somewhat confused at its presence, could not help but smirk as his pupils dilated in anticipation. This was a smell he had longed for in his dead heart for nearly a century.

Sesshoumaru had smelled the fragile scent of human flesh, and better yet, the warm, luscious scent of coursing human _blood_.

With an almost lustful caution, Sesshoumaru leaned back into the shadows of the large, decrepit house and stalked silently away from the now forgotten object. His pointed ears were strained and his jaw was tense, as every small noise in the house was amplified to his liking.

He could hear them now. There were in fact two humans. Sesshoumaru noted the light sound of their footsteps and concurred that his prey was either two small, thin men, or two women. He assumed that the latter was the more likely scenario. The thought of slaughtering two unsuspecting women made him falter momentarily. However, the pause was indeed brief because his hunger was far too intense for him to ignore. He was ravenous for a taste of the flushed skin, the ambrosial metallic taste of the blood running beneath the soft skin...

Sesshoumaru could almost feel his mind switching gears as his walk became slightly more feral than his usual elegant gait. As he approached the house study, which from his knowledge was a large, venerable library in which most of the books were already falling apart, he heard a nervous bout of laughter.

"Man… This place _is_ kind of creepy. Cobwebs and crazy thumping noises galore…" A female voice anxiously laughed. Sesshoumaru crouched back against the shadows that were overly abundant in the room.

"Well… Something probably fell. Besides, the house isn't all that bad. I actually like it," a second voice chimed in. The second voice was more appeasing to Sesshoumaru's ears. It was soft and slightly melancholic and it reminded Sesshoumaru of the cleansing rain which he longed to feel again.

"Are you crazy. Kikyou?" the first voice queried. "This place is so Addams family."

The second female, the one Sesshoumaru now figured was Kikyou, laughed. "Well, there's always more than meets the eye…" she replied, her gentle laughter still echoing in Sesshoumaru's ears. The sound of it was irresistible. He had to taste her…

In a flash he was beside her, ravenous eyes sweeping over her shocked face.

"What a beautiful voice you have…" he purred out, his ivory incisors glinting as he smirked, "It's equivalent to the beauty of your face." Sesshoumaru was savoring the slowly increasing fear that was infecting the lovely human's chocolate brown eyes. Like a deadly disease… his presence was intoxicating her senses. He could hear the sporadic beating of her heart, the wide set of her gorgeous eyes, her accelerated breathing. It was enthralling, captivating, even arousing. He was no longer the immortal soul that was driving himself insane with solitude… he was now a predator, a killer.

"W-who are you?" Kikyou stammered, shocked and slightly afraid of the dangerous looking creature before her. He had an irresistible charm about him, a perfection that was impossible for her to comprehend… she almost wanted to touch his dreamlike features. Still, the adrenaline rush and anxious beating of her heart advised her against such action.

Kagura too was in a state of shock. Where had the mysterious man come from? He had a surreal eminence enveloping him. His skin was too pale, as was the silvery sheen of his long hair. His face and wrists were adorned with strange markings that could almost be mistaken for tattoos. But the most bewildering attribute of the creature before her was his eyes. They were beautiful, that much was true, but they had a possessed quality. They were a brilliant shade of amber, one that no ordinary human in her knowledge possessed, and they were rimmed by a startling shade of crimson. In fact, his eyes seemed like they were growing increasingly stranger by the minute. Not only was the crimson bleeding into the gold, but his pupils were dilated to an impossible level, considering the lack of light in the room.

This man was definitely not ordinary, or safe for that matter.

He was uncanny.

"My name is Sesshoumaru… pleased to meet you, _Kikyou_" Sesshoumaru whispered as he approached Kikyou slowly. Kagura began to whimper silently as she watched the dangerous stranger move towards her petite friend.

"K-Kikyou…" she cautioned while trying to step away from the threat before her.

Kikyou could understand Kagura's fear, but it did not help her in the matter. The beautiful stranger was now directly in front of her, and she was compelled to lean into him, but the fear of his predatory eyes held her back.

"W-what do you want…?" Kikyou choked out, fear still numbing her senses.

"What do I want?" Sesshoumaru repeated, allowing his gaze to trace the contours of her jaw, and fall hungrily to her long, exposed neck.

"I want _you_." He leered, exposing his sharp fangs in all their glory. Kagura took that moment to release the earsplitting scream that had been building up inside of her as Kikyou watched Sesshoumaru's long, pale hand reach up to touch her face.

And in the moment that his cold skin touched her heated cheek, the entire world seemed to stop moving as a light brighter than the sun itself enveloped the room…

'_I have punished you by letting you live…'_

'_And you shall suffer so intensely that every day you_ do_ live…'_

'_You shall wish you had died.'_

**A/N:** Well, there it is. Left it at a cliffhanger for you guys. : yeah, yeah, I know you all love me. The title is from a song by AFI. Well, review pleaaase, because your reviews are the only thing that motivates me to write this stuff.


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